82 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



July 



List of Apples for an Orchard of one Hun- 

 dred Trees- 



Tlie following list of Summer, Fall and 

 Winter apples lor an orchard of cue hundred 

 trees was adopted hy the Leavenworth, 

 (Kansas) County, Horticultural Society at its 

 January aud February meetings. 



Summer.— Early Hurvest, 11 ; Red Astra- 

 chan, 14 ; Summer Pearmaiii, 11 ; Beuoiii, 

 10 ; Sweet June, 20 ; Cooper's Early White, 

 24 ; Duchess of Oldeuburg, 10. 



Fall.— Lowell, 19: Maiden Blush, 20; 

 Baiky's Sweet, 2 ; Early Pennock, 12; Au» 

 tumn Swaar, 26; Smoke-house, 21 



Winter.— Jonathan, 17; Ben Davis, 21; 

 Raules' Jaunet, 16; Winesap, 32; McAffecs' 

 Nousucl:, 6 ; Willow Twig, 7 ; Hartford Sweet 

 1. 



In presenting the above list of apples to 

 to the public, we wish to make a few 

 remarks. 



It is the habit of horticultural societies to 

 determine by a vote what varieties of fruit 

 are worthy of general cultivation. The 

 fallacy of this method of arriving at the val- 

 ue of any variety is so self evident that we 

 hope to soon see it abolished. 

 . To illustrate this fallacy, we will give an 

 instance. At our State horticultural meeting 

 ia '68, the Jonathan was added to the list.of 

 apples worthy of general cultivation, with 

 but few, if any, dissenting votes. At anoth- 

 er session of our meeting an individual 

 moved to have it reconsidered, on the ground 

 that he had seen some apples badly specked 

 and did not think it worthy of that place. — 

 By an effort, he made the imijressiou upon 

 the iuexperieuccd, that it was unworthy and 

 it was rejected from the list by a vote of the 

 society, although there were a number of 

 persons present who had sufficient experi- 

 ence to fully warrant its retention. 



This we considered at the time an unwar- 

 rantable outrage of ignorance and prejudice 

 against e.xperience and facts, which another 

 year confirmed by the Society placing it on 

 their list, and it was even acquiesed in by the 

 person who moved its rejection. We notice 

 the same difficulty at the Central Illinois 

 horticultural meeting, in the Prairie Farmer 

 On apples. Dr. Hull said he was opposed to 

 making or having a list ; one half of the 

 society might grind out a list, which if sub- 

 mitted to the other half would be rejected. 

 If the society would appoint a small, select 

 committee composed of its most experienced 

 men, then it might be pos.sible to get a list 

 that would be of some little value ; but a 

 much better way would be for the society to 

 discuss the merits of varieties; this course 

 would bring out information respecting them 

 in different parts of the district. The facts 

 so elicited could be published in the proceed- 

 ings and would go for what they ai'e wortli. 

 Should any one waat a list, his best plan 

 would be to go to some experienced cultiva- 

 tor of his own neighborhood and get the 

 names of sorts that have succeeded on soil 



.similar to his own. Such a selection might 

 be valuable, whereas, a list made by the vote 

 of the society, would apply to no special lo- 

 cality aud would be worthless." 



" Dr. Morse was satisfied that these remarks 

 were correct but would recommend that new 

 sorts be discussed." "' Mr. Dunlap would not 

 advise the making or voting on a list of ap- 

 ples. Let each give the result of his obser- 

 vation. Beginners could learn from the 

 nearest experienced horticulturist what va- 

 rieties would be best in their locality." 

 " After these remarks, the society agreed to 

 dispense with making a list, and called for 

 remarks on varieties." 



Never were remarks more appropriate 

 than the above, and coming as they do from 

 such distinguished horticulturists, they have 

 important weight and should be dulj' consid- 

 ered, 



We are happy to find that we are not 

 alone iu a similar move, but sustained by 

 such high authority, which is some relief, 

 knowing our views were not favorably re- 

 ceived. Growing Iruit is more than a con- 

 jecture or opinion. It is a fact, a science, and 

 a realization. 



Health, hardiness, early maturity, produc- 

 tiveness, versatility of character, can only be 

 determined by a careful comparison of va- 

 rieties under various conditions. This 

 requires time, experience and close observa- 

 tion. He who has not had those opportu- 

 nities is not prepared to give even a correct 

 opinion, let alone facts. It is this, which 

 produces the apparent discrepancy in the 

 opiniim of horticulturists; were they equally 

 experienced ituder like condition, there 

 would be but little difference iu their opin- 

 ions. 



Self esteem, approbativeness and egotism 

 often take the place of experience, and 

 even dictate what varieties we should 

 plant, how it should be done, and also their 

 after treatment. 



We have before us a list of apples in the 

 Kansas Fa/rmer, recommended for a farm 

 orchard of 100 trees for northern Kansas. 

 The individual attempts to give the propor- 

 tion of each kind by first endeavoring to 

 show his disinterestedness in the following 

 quaint style. He says, " it has no tinge of 

 interest or pride of opinion about it, two ele- 

 ments to be carefully guarded agaiust in 

 accepting the opinions of any one upon this 

 subject." It is remarkable how the status of 

 a nursery or orchard will affect the opin- 

 ion of its owner upon the merits of a given 

 variety of fruit. It is hard to coudenui the 

 big end of a nursery slock one has got ready 

 for market — just for the public good ; aad a 

 man will about as soon make a public expose 

 of the faull s of hischild as of his pet trees," 

 All this twaddle about nurserymen and 

 fruit growers xuvty gratify self esteem aud 

 approbativeness, but comes with poor grace 

 from a person who has never grown or 



fruited one of the varieties in Kansas, or 

 perhaps no where else, and who is unable 

 to give the peculiar characteristics of the 

 fruit and trees he recommends. 



If tree and fruit growers are not compe- 

 tent to recommend varieties, how much less 

 must the individual be, who has to depend 

 upon them for the little be knows. 



Would he condemn the opinion of such 

 men as Meehan, Wilder, Downing, Elliott, 

 Warder, Barry, Hull, Flagg, and many 

 others, because they were cither tree or 

 fruit growers. It has almost become pro- 

 verbial for those horticulturists to condemn 

 defective varieties; and they show little 

 mercy on those sorts they have spent years 

 of toil and care and have proved unworthy. 

 But let us see what this individual has to 

 say who knows more of the capabilities and 

 prospects of fruit growing in Kansas than 

 any ten men in it. He says " a commercial 

 orchard, set for the sole end of realizing the 

 most money per acre from it, and a farm or- 

 chard set for the benefit and gratification of 

 its present and future possessor, are quite 

 two things. The first in Kansas would be 

 limited to about ten varieties — less than 

 more. The second will require, in addition 

 to those almost as many more." As the list 

 of apples given embraces more than ten, and 

 is headed farm orchard, and a commercial 

 and farm orchard "are quite two tldngf," 

 how does it come that 15 trees out of 100 

 are Ben Davis, which he says "is one of the 

 poorest apologies for an apple that a prolific 

 nature has ever produced." This of course 

 must be granted to be correct, as it has " no 

 tinge of interest or pride of opinion about it,'' 

 and requires no effort of the imagination or 

 wonder how he knows what a prolific nature 

 Ms produced. 



He recommends 15 Raule's Jannet, which 

 he says " that if the trees are to grow and 

 fruit uncared for aud unpruned, it is better 

 not to set them at all. To produce fine 

 fruit, uniform in size and perfect in flavor, 

 the tree tops must be kept open and severely 

 pruned." How lias he discovered this tree 

 to be an exception to the general rule? 

 When and where did he try this experiment ? 

 or course it could not have comefroma tree 

 or fruit grower, or it might have some " pride 

 of opinion about it." 



By what method did he discover that 

 Lady-finger (Kirby Red) was adapted to 

 Northern Kansas? Did he ever find it 

 growing there? Also, upon what evidence 

 does he recommend Fall Pippin, Swaar, 

 Rhode Island Greening, aud Northern Spy? 

 We herewith annex this list for the gratifi- 

 cation of experienced orchardists, classed 

 under its various seasons : 



Early Summer. 



2. Early Harvest. 



3, Red June. 



JiiiU. 



Winter. 



S. R. I. Greening. 

 5. Kirby Red. 

 5. Rome Beauty. 

 5. W. \V. Pearmain. 



4. Cooper's Early Wliite. 5. Jonathan. 



